


When nothing's wrong

by Ex-Genesis (orphan_account)



Category: Disney RPF
Genre: Incest, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-06-29
Updated: 2010-06-29
Packaged: 2017-11-12 15:27:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/492741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/Ex-Genesis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The spat after a live chat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When nothing's wrong

They turned the camera off and Kevin, shaking his head a little, walked out of the room to go get something to eat. Joe had stood from the couch and had his hands on his hips, biting one corner of his lower lip, hair hanging in front of one of his eyes, not that it mattered, because he was looking down at the ground anyway. Nick stayed sitting for a few more moments, just sitting there, and he wasn’t making a noise. It didn’t even sound like he was breathing. Finally he slid his hands off his knees and rose at the same time, and began walking down the hall to his bedroom.  
  
Looking up, and around for a moment, Joe surveyed the nothingness and began following after his brother. He caught up, taking larger strides until he was just in front of Nick, arms swinging a bit too carelessly. “What’s your problem, Nick?” he asked. His tone was cold and aggressive, but he wasn’t speaking very loudly. Nick had been looking straight in front of him, but when he heard the question, his eyes narrowed, and just for a moment, he glanced Joe’s way.  
  
Shoulders slumping slightly he slid his right hand into his pocket, making his elbow stick out a bit. It was just enough to get in the way of Joe’s swinging arm, and when the contact came, Joe spun around and put his hand out, stopping Nick from walking further, because if he wanted to keep going, he’d have to walk through Joe’s fist. “Nick,” he said, teeth clenched.  
  
Nick sighed. His eyes were still hard though, and he wasn’t making eye contact with his brother. Finally he breathed out an, “I don’t know,” and steadied his gaze on the fist in his way. His bedroom was only two feet away. If he could psych Joe out, he might be able to run passed, and into his bedroom where he could lock the door. He didn’t have to though, because Joe moved his body, both arms going to his side, letting Nick leave. Joe didn’t look angry anymore; he just seemed kind of – out.  
  
Pulling his hand from his jeans, Nick made his way to the door and opened it, but before going in, he turned to look at his older brother. Joe was still looking the other way, standing there, but he had moved one of his hands back to his hip. Nick was surprised he wasn’t tapping his foot. After looking at Joe long enough, the other boy turned around and Nick tipped his head to his bedroom, silently inviting Joe in. Joe accepted immediately and turned to go in just after Nick, and closed the door behind them.  
  
With the shades drawn, and the computer screen shut off, there was only a glow of light coming through. It was peaceful though, but it made Joe feel like he needed to hold his breathe, like there wouldn’t be enough oxygen in the room for both of them. Everything looked kind of blue. That, he realized, was probably it. Was he under water? Sure felt like it. Serene water, perfectly balanced, yet entirely movable, no air. Nick though, since it was his room, had gills. He could breath fine.  
  
He walked over to his bed and sort of threw himself onto it, head at the foot, feet crossed up against the wall. Joe turned to look at him, just laying there, and forced himself to inhale. “Sorry,” Nick said, then, and though it was quiet, and he wasn’t looking Joe in the eyes or making a ‘thing’ of it, it sounded as though he meant it. He folded his arms at the back of his head.  
  
Joining him, Joe walked over to the other side of the bed, but instead, laid gently down, head at the opposite end. Joe’s hand lay upward, open-palmed by Nick’s waist. He clenched a fist for a moment, thinking, and then let it open again. “It’s okay,” he started, and it sounded like there was going to be more. It was an open phrase, sounding unfinished, but he didn’t say anything else for some time. “If you’re mad –” he started, breaking the silence, but Nick didn’t let him finish.  
  
“I’m not.”  
  
“But if you ever are, tell me.” It was a plea, if anything, not a command. Joe didn’t want Nick or anyone else, really, to ever be mad at him, but if they were, especially Nick, he wanted, needed to know about it. If he didn’t have the opportunity to fix whatever had gone wrong, then he would lose pieces of himself without realizing it, and then one day, he would find out that most of him had disappeared, and he wouldn’t have any way of tracing them all down, of putting himself back together. That wasn’t fair. He didn’t want that. So, he asked. He didn’t ask Nick to forget it, or even automatically forgive him, but to at least tell him when something was wrong.  
  
Lifting his head, Nick slid his inside arm out from under his head. “Yeah,” he agreed, and lay his arm out on the bed, without thinking, and his hand landed over Joe’s arm. It wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward, so there wasn’t any movement to pull away. There shouldn’t have been either. “Joe?” he asked.  
  
“Yeah Nick?”  
  
“Love you.”  
  
“You too.”  
  
Both were staring up at the ceiling, but Joe grabbed Nick’s wrist, and Nick grabbed Joe’s wrist, and once Nick felt Joe pulling on his arm, he pulled back, until his feet fell from the wall, knees bending open to accommodate, and they were both sitting up, shoulder to shoulder, Nick’s arm pulled across Joe’s torso, hand resting at the other side of Joe’s leg. “You okay?” Joe asked. It was with sincere concern, but not a motherly kind, or even brotherly kind, though that would have been okay. It was the kind a best friend asks, knowing how to just be there, knowing when it was okay to talk, a little, or a lot.  
  
Nick shook his head a little, curls of hair brushing across Joe’s shoulder in the process. After sighing he said, “Yeah.” And Joe felt a big grin break out across his face. He could feel Nick smile a little too. But then Nick lost his smile, asking, “You?”  
  
“Yeah,” Joe said, almost laughing, and then he could feel Nick really smile.


End file.
